Expanding plant-based dining: Hillside Café going all green on Earth Day

For the first time a Washington State University dining center, Hillside Café, will devote its entire menu to plant-based foods for the Hillside Goes Green event on Earth Day, April 22. It is designed to be a fun and educational event where the WSU community can become more familiar with and taste plant forward food.

"We want to show students that there are possibilities for incorporating a plant-based diet that doesn't involve just eating tofu or tempeh," said Dean Lowman, general manager and chef at Hillside Café. "There can be a wide variety of interesting and tasty foods to choose from."

Making incremental changes

Incorporating more plant-based food into menus on campus has been a focus for Dining Services since 2018, when it signed a pledge to do so with non-profit Forward Food.

According to Forward Food, consumers are demanding more plant-based food because they are more environmentally conscious, sustainable, and healthier. Also, people are becoming more aware of the welfare concerns of factory farms and reducing their meat intake. Eating plant-based foods can save people money, too.

Despite the many benefits of eating a vegan diet, Martha Flores, assistant director of health and wellness for Dining Services and Cougar Health Services, emphasized the goal is not to get rid of animal-based products (which can include meat, milk, crème, butter, and cheese), but rather increase the vegetables served with them. The secret, she said, is to make incremental changes.

"The feedback we receive from students is they want small changes, without feeling like veggies are shoved in their faces or forced upon them," Flores said.

So, the chefs have been adjusting recipes like their chicken curry dishes. Rather than not using chicken, they are improving the recipes by adding plant-based products like potatoes, bell peppers, and chickpeas to help students get more fiber into their diets.

The feedback we receive from students is they want small changes, without feeling like veggies are shoved in their faces or forced upon them.

Flores said increasing fiber is a big topic these days as research has shown that getting more of it can help prevent many health issues such as high cholesterol and blood pressure, obesity, and certain diseases. Recent studies have shown that young adults are developing colon cancer at record rates.

"Our ultimate goal is to make this generation as healthy as it can be, and by making incremental changes to what we offer in the dining centers is how we are working to achieve that goal," Flores said.

But with more than 2,000 recipes in their database, making these adjustments will take time.

"It's not just about taking away ingredients but creating a whole new meal that fits the flavor profile we are seeking," Lowman said. "It is an involved process to get to something that is delicious, presents well, and meets the expectations of the customer."

Meat is no longer the center of attention

As part of its partnership with WSU, Forward Food chefs will work alongside Dining's team to prepare the dishes for Hillside Goes Green.

Lowman is particularly excited to taste Forward Food's tiramisu recipe, a dish that typically includes a lot of animal products. Other vegan food on the menu that day include tacos, a modified Shepards pie, and a variety of dishes with Indian flare. The pizzas and soups will also be plant-based.

"Most students tend to think of their meals as having meat in the center of their plate with other kinds of food around it," Flores said. "We want them to think about how their plate would look differently if meat wasn't the primary focus."